Page 100 of A Little Tempting

“Gee, thanks,” Rory mutters. Being the sole well-under twenty-one partygoer, she rolls her eyes, strolls through the family room, sidesteps the sorting hat and stool in the center, and heads straight out the back door, her dog trailing behind.

“Party pooper,” her dad yells, but the girl doesn’t stop her retreat.

As I watch her disappear, I ask, “Where’s Tatum?” mentioning Ophelia’s little sister.

Aunt Blakely, their mom, shakes her head. “She decided to stay home tonight. I’ll tell her you asked about her, though.”

With a weak smile, I nod. “Thanks.”

Tatum’s been absent since Archer’s death. There’s so much to unpack there. I wouldn’t even know where to begin, so I stay quiet and am saved by a loud knock on the front door.

Griffin opens it seconds later, revealing an effortlessly sexy Reeves on the other side.

“Hey, man,” Maverick greets him. “You get it done?”

He shakes his head but steals a quick glance my way. Turning back to his best friend, he tells him, “Not yet. Soon, though.”

Mav nods but doesn’t say anything else as Reeves runs his fingers through his shaggy brown hair. His massive bicep bulges beneath his white T-shirt, making my mouth water. I’m not sure why he decided to ditch a coat despite the cold weather, but with a view like this, I’m not complaining. He does the weird man-hug thing, patting Griffin’s back, then Jaxon’s and Everett’s. He pulls the rest of the girls into friendly hugs while I wait at the back of the line. It feels weird. Like I’m sitting on pins and needles for a guy I shouldn't be sitting on pins and needles for. What was he finishing up, anyway? A date? A class? Something with the police? Something for his G-rated gigolo side gig? The thought makes my expression sour. I almost forgot about his extra-curricular activities until Finley mentioned them earlier today. Whether or not I want to admit it, the reminder doesn’t exactly give me a lot of hope to hold on to despite his super sweet comment last night.

A kiss with you isn’t meaningless.

Aaaand the butterflies are back.

A guy like Reeves has the power to own me—let alone every other girl on campus—and what happens if I’m not enough? And why am I even thinking about this? He dates other girls for a freaking living! Finley’s right. Is Reeves tempting? Yes. But am I strong enough for the mess he brings with him? Hardly.

Boundaries, Dylan. Find some.

When Reeves reaches me, he smiles and pulls me into a side hug. Like he did with Finley. And Ophelia.

It’s sweet.

Thoughtful.

Platonic.

It also makes me feel insecure and on edge, which is completely ridiculous.

What do I have to be insecure about?

Ha! Only everything.

Letting me go, he murmurs, “Hey, Dylan.”

“Hi.” I peek up at him and fold my arms. I don’t know what else to say or how to act.

Sensing the tension around us, my mom steps in and pulls him into a hug. “Good to see you again, Reeves!”

“Good to see you, too, Mrs. Thorne.” He steps back and lets out a low whistle as he takes in the themed decor. “The place looks great.”

“Aw, thank you. I think it turned out pretty awesome, too.” Arms folded, my mom rocks back on her heels, practically beaming. “We’re so happy you could make it. And now that everyone’s here, let’s sort everyone into their houses, shall we?”

She guides us all into the family room, where a Harry Potter playlist is already on repeat, along with a tall leather stool from the kitchen sitting in the center of the carpeted area. Couches, LoveSacs, pillows, and blankets occupy the rest of the space, creating a cozy theater with room for everyone.

“All right, Griff, you first,” my dad orders, motioning to the stool.

As he steps over a stuffed spider on the ground, Griff mutters, “You guys are insane,” but plops down on the stool, playing along with our parents’ antics.

Practically beaming, my dad slaps the sorting hat onto his youngest son’s head, and Uncle Theo begins reading from a script one of the moms wrote. It’s corny and silly and over the top and has my abs hurting from laughing so hard within minutes.

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